Batter's Box Interactive Magazine Batter's Box Interactive Magazine Batter's Box Interactive Magazine
Ever wonder what it's really like to throw out the first pitch at a Blue Jays home game? Ever wonder what's going through the inevitably petrified mind of those who are fortunate (?) enough to do so?

Well thanks to the blogosphere, the wonderful prose of a genuine Canadian blogger who terms herself the "Yarn Harlot," you can now know the answers to these questions and more. (Props and a shout-out to my significantly better half, Sandye Thompson, for sharing this page with me.)

This memoiric essay features phrases like "There would be no actual baseball people involved. This was the plan," the obligatory "It all seemed to be going so well" preceding the equally obligatory "and that's when it all started to go wrong" ... well, you can (and should) read it for yourself.

Our story stars not only the overwhelmed first-pitching Yarn Harlot, but also the antics of what the Harlot terms "a rather large furry Blue Jay" with a Special Guest Star role by none other than Box favorite Brian Tallet.

Seriously, go read it. And if you, your significant other or anyone else in your life is into, you know, knitting and stuff, point them to the Yarn Harlot. She may not pitch much, but she definitely rocks the blogosphere.

"In Need of the Heimlich Manoeuvre" (by the Yarn Harlot) | 5 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
#2JBrumfield - Monday, August 02 2010 @ 09:22 AM EDT (#219665) #
Thanks for the good read, Mick!  Whoever plays the role of Ace does a really good job.
Magpie - Monday, August 02 2010 @ 10:28 AM EDT (#219666) #
Yes, a cool story. And props to Ace!
Dewey - Monday, August 02 2010 @ 01:36 PM EDT (#219667) #
Nice story; and the Yarn Harlot tells it well.  She can knit me some socks any time.
Bid - Monday, August 02 2010 @ 01:41 PM EDT (#219668) #
The young man channeling Ace is a veteran of rec and high school ball (and several other sports...he played with two of my kids.) I see he's still making his teammates better.

Check out the length of this Yarn Harlot thread...seldom do we spin so long here.

 
JohnL - Monday, August 02 2010 @ 09:34 PM EDT (#219686) #
Interestingly, that was the second "First Pitch" story I read yesterday. The other one, although shorter, featured a former Blue Jay, Miguel Batista, now with the Nationals.

Stephen Strassburg had been scheduled to pitch last Friday, but when Batista was announced on Tuesday as his injury replacement, the news was greeted with a chorus of boos.

"El Artista" apparently understood the reaction, providing this observation: “Imagine if you go there to see Miss Universe and you end up having Miss Iowa — you might get those kind of boos.”

Well the news of that comment hit Iowa, and the real Miss Iowa (Katherine Connors)'s cell phone went off while she was in a beauty salon.  Neither she nor some of her  fellow-staters were impressed. "You do not talk smack to an Iowan" she responded.

The next day, Batista sent flowers and called to apologize. The Nationals invited her to throw out the first pitch last Friday; Batista caught it. He's also been invited to be a judge of the Miss Iowa pageant. 

We remember that he was a man of many talents when he was with the Jays: starter, closer, mystery writer, poet, and possessor of so many pitches, he sometimes couldn't decide what to throw.  But he would probably be stumped by Miss Iowa's challenge:

“I told him I can throw a pitch or two,” she said. “The question is, can he walk in my bikini in high heels?”

Story is here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/sports/baseball/01nationals.html?_r=1&ref=baseball
"In Need of the Heimlich Manoeuvre" (by the Yarn Harlot) | 5 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.